Hoist line hook



May 20, 1969 K. E. REISCHL 3,445,133

HOIST LINE HOOK Filed April 10, 1967 INVENTOR KARL E. REISCHL v ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,445,133 HOIST LINE HOOK Karl E. Reischl, South Milwaukee, Wis., assiguor to Bucyrus-Erie Company, South Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 629,612 Int. Cl. B66c l/36; F161) 7/22 U.S. Cl. 294-83 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two embodiments of a hook and socket assembly are shown and in both the hook has a circular cross section with the hoist line attaching in the center and a pointed nose. In both embodiments the socket is a steel tube. In the first embodiment, spring-biased, pivotable latch bars are mounted in the socket to latch the hook. In the second embodiment, spring-biased pivotable latch bars are mounted on the hook to engage a groove in the socket.

Background of the invention The present invention is for a hook to be used on a hoist line of a crane. The hook is of a symmetrical, round shape with the hoist line attached in the middle. Further, the hook is intended primarily for use with a socket as a self-engaging hook, wherein either the hook or the socket has resiliently biased latching means.

The prior art has known solid symmetrical hooks with and without latching hooks as may be seen in the following US. Patents: 1,256,365, 1,269,523, 1,459,714, 2,402,- 789, 2,641,780, 2,715,379, 2,723,153 and 2,903,716. While some of the devices shown in those patents may bear a superficial similarity to one aspect or another of the present invention, the present invention is markedly different from them and achieves objects and advantages that none of them are capable of. The prior art actually practiced is even more remote in that it employs the well known hook that is shaped like an inverted question mark and opens upwardly and laterally to engage a load.

The present invention was created in response to a need for a lightweight, self-engaging hook for hoisting vessels of various sorts to and from an oceanographic survey ship. The prior art employed the conventional hook and eye, but that required a diver to make the necessary connection and the weight of the hook posed a danger to both the diver and the vessel in uncertain seas.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a lightweight hook assembly that can be self-engaging and more specifically the invention resides in a symmetrical integral hook body that is centrally secured to a hoist cable and that has a more or less pointed nose. The invention also resides in a socket to be used with said hook and cooperating latching means on said hook and said socket whereby said hook may be self-engaging with said socket.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partially in section of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment The two embodiments of the invention described here are intended for use on a main hoist line cable 1 on the jib of a marine crane that is mounted on an oceanographic survey vessel for hoisting exploration submarines,

3,445,133 Patented May 20, 1969 launches, buoys and the like from the sea. Such a marine crane is disclosed and described in detail in the copending application of the same inventor, assigned to the same assignee as the present application and having the Ser. No. 628,934, filed Apr. 6, 1967.

The hook assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention includes a hook body 2 fastened on the end of the hoist line cable 1. The hook body 2 is an integral, cast steel member having a sagittate profile and circular cross sections throughout its length. A short, hollow, shank portion 3 projects upwardly at the center of the top of a hook body 2, and a concave annular latching shoulder 4 extends radially around the bottom end of the shank portion 3. The side wall 5 of the sagittate hook body 2 tapers convexly from the periphery of the latch engaging shoulder 4 to a dully pointed nose 6 at the bottom of the hook body 2. A cable hole 7 extends longitudinally through the center of the hook body 2 with a widened opening 8 in the top of the shank portion 3 and an enlarged bottom 9 just above the nose 6. The end of the hoist line cable 1 passes through the widened opening 8 and is spread out and leaded in the enlarged bottom portion 9 to fasten the end of the hoist line cable 1 to the hook body 2. A cavity 10 is formed beneath the enlarged bottom end 9 of the cable hole 7 to receive a resilient, rubber-like bumper insert 11, which forms the pointed nose 6 of the hook body 2. A semi-round annular groove 12 is formed near the top of the side wall 5 to receive a resilient, rubber-like round annular bumper 13 which is like a giant O-ring.

A steel tubular socket 14 is welded upright on a load 15 to be hoisted, which in this case may be an exploration submarine, or a buoy, or the like. The socket 14 has a flared entrance 16 at the top to guide the hook body 2 into its interior 17. Three identical, inwardly opening pockets 18, 19 and 20 are formed in the wall of the tubular socket 14 just below the flared entrance 16. Each pocket 18, 19 and 20 has a shaft 21 mounted across it near its top end or ceiling, although the shaft 21 is visible in only two of the pockets 18 and 19 in the drawing. In each pocket 18, 19 and 20, a steel latch bar 22, 23 and 24 is loosely mounted on the shaft 21 in the manner shown in the drawing. The latch bars 22, 23, and 24 have holes 25 (only one of which is illustrated in the drawing) substantially larger in diameter than the shafts 21 to receive the shafts 21. The clearance between the holes 25 and the shafts 21 is sufiicient so that if the steel latch bars 22, 23 and 24 are pushed upwardly, they will abut the ceilings of the respective pockets 18, 19 and 20 before the shafts 21 engage the sides of the holes 25.

A bias spring 26 has one end attached to a lug 26a projecting outwardly from the latch bar 22 and a lower end anchored to a bracket 26b on the outside surface of the tubular socket 14, and each latch bar 22, 23 and 24 has such a spring 26 mounted in the same way. A slot opening 27 is cut through the back of each of the pockets 18, 19 and 20 so that the lower end of the steel latch 22, 23 and 24 can be retracted out of the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14. However, the bias springs 26 normally pivot the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 about their respective shafts 21, so that their lower ends project resiliently into the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14. A rod 28 is welded on the back edge of each of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24, though it is shown on only one in FIG. 2, to provide a release means for the latch, so that the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 can be retracted from the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14 either manually or by some power means connected to the rods 28. A lock bar 29 is hinge mounted on each of the brackets 26b on the outside of the tubular socket 14 so that it can be raised upwardly to hold the rod 28 in its latch retracting position.

The operation of the first embodiment is implicit in its structure. In order to hoist the load 15, the crane or winch operator lowers the hook body 2 through the flared entrance 16 of the tubular socket 14. When the hook body 2 is lowered through the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14, the side wall 5 of the sagittate profile of the hook body 2 will push the spring biased latch 22, 23 and 24 out of the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14 through their respective slot openings 27. When the concave annular latching shoulder 4 of the hook body 2 falls below the bottom ends of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24, the bias springs 26 will pivot the bottom ends of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 into the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14 over the top of the latching shoulder 4. When the hook body 2 is then hoisted on the cable line 1, the concave annular latching shoulder 4 on the hook body 2 will engage the bottom ends of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 driving them upwardly until their top ends abut the ceilings of their respective pockets 18, 19 and 20, when continued hoisting of the hook body 2 will raise the tubular socket 14 with the load 15 attached to it. It is important to note that the shafts 21 about which the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 pivot never bear the weight of the load 15, which is actually transmitted directly to the tubular socket 14 through the engagement of the top ends of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 with the ceilings of the pockets 18, 19 and 20. When the load 15 has been delivered to its destination and is brought to rest, the hook 2 is lowered beneath the bottom ends of the latch bars 22, 23 and 24. Then the latch bars 22, 23 and 24 may be pivoted out of the interior 17 of the tubular socket 14 by their respective rods 28 and locked in this retracted position by the respective lock bars 29. Thus, the pathway for withdrawing the hook body 2 is cleared and the hoist line cable 1 can be drawn upward removing the hook body 2 from the socket 14.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a hook body 31 also having a sagittate profile and substantially circular cross sections is fastened on the end of the hoist line cable 1 in the same manner as was the hook body 2 of the first embodiment. The hook body 31 is a solid, integral cast steel member having a short, hollow, upwardly projecting shank portion 32 which has an annular flange 33 about its top end. An annular concave latching shoulder 34 extends radially from the bottom end of the shank portion 32. From the peripheral edge of the annular concave latching shoulder 34 a brief cylindrical side wall 35 extends downwardly and terminates in a conical side wall 36 which converges to a dull pointed nose 37. As in the first embodiment, a round bottom annular groove 38 is formed near the top of the conical side wall 36 to receive a resiliently compressible annular bumper 39, which is in the form of a large rubber or rubber-like O-ring. Also, as in the first embodiment, a cavity is cut out of the nose end of the conical side wall to receive a resiliently compressible rubber-like nose bumper insert 40. Three pairs, two of which are shown, of parallel buttress-like vertical walls 41 and 42 project from the shank portion 32, as extensions of cords thereto, between the annular flange 33 and the annular concave latching shoulder 34, and they are equidistant from one another about the circumference of the shank portion 32. Shafts 43 and 44, respectively, are mounted through the pairs of buttress-like walls 41 and 42.

Two of three identical steel latching bars 45 and 46 are shown in the drawing, and these are pivotally mounted between the pairs of buttress-like Walls 41 and 42. The latching bar 45 shown in the broken away portion of FIG. 3 has a hole 47 through it near its lower ends, through which the shaft 43 is fitted, and the hole 47 is sufliciently larger in diameter than the shaft 43 so that the bottom end of the latching bar 45 will abut the latching u der 34 before the clearance between the hole 47 and the shaft 43 is closed. Since the other latching bars 46 and the one not shown are of identical construction their mounting is the same as was described for the latching bar 45. Thus the latching shoulder 34 will bear the entire hoisting force instead of the shafts 43 and 44. A compression spring 48 is mounted in a cavity 49 and a latching bar 45 and abuts the shank portion 34 of the hook body 31 so as to urge the top end of the latching bar 45 outwardly. The same construction is also present but not shown in the latching bar 46 as well as in the third latching bar (not shown).

The second embodiment also includes a steel tubular socket 50 with a flared entrance 51 at the top leading to its hollow interior 52. The tubular socket 50 in the second embodiment, like the tubular socket 14 in the first embodiment, has its closed bottom end welded, or otherwise fastened to the load 15. Just below the flared entrance 51, an annular groove 53 is formed in the wall of the tubular socket 50, and at spaced intervals about the annular groove 53 slot openings 54 are formed through the wall of the tubular socket at the bottom end of the annular groove. An ear 55 projects outwardly from the tubular socket 50 adjacent the slot openings 54 and a latch release arm 56 is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 57 passing through the latch release arm 56 and the car 55. One end of the latch release arm 56 extends into the slot opening 54 so that when the latch release arm 56 is pivoted to a horizontal position the end of the latch release arm projects into the interior 52 of the tubular socket 50 to force the latching bar 45 to release the groove 53, permitting the hook body 31 to be removed from the socket 50.

When the crane or winch operator wants to hoist the load 16 using the second embodiment, he lowers the hook body 31 through the flared opening 51 of the tubular socket 50 and the interior walls of the tubular socket 50 will collapse the latching bars 45 and 46 inwardly against their compression springs 48 until the top of the latch bars 45 and 46 reach the annular groove 53 in the interior wall of the tubular socket 50, when the large bars will snap outwardly and engage the groove 53. When the hoist line cable 1 draws upwardly on the hook body 31, the top of the latch bars 45 and 46 engage the top of the annular groove 53 and the bottoms of the latch bars 45 and 46 abut the latching shoulder 34 on the hook body 31 to sustain the weight of the load 15. After the load has been delivered and placed at rest at its destination, the hook body 31 is removed from the tubular socket 50 by lowering the hook body 31 slightly to release the tops of the latching bars 45 and 46 from the undercut in the annular groove 53 and then pivoting the latch release arm 56 upwardly to a horizontal position to force the tops of the latching bars 45 and 46 inwardly to clear the interior walls of the tubular socket 50. Then the hook gody 31 may be drawn upwardly out of the tubular socket It is evident from the foregoing description of the two embodiments of the invention shown here that a hook embodying the invention may be self-engaging so that the crane operator can pick up the load 15 without help from additional workmen. This advantage gains importance when it becomes necessary to hoist a submarine from the water in heavy seas, when it would be extremely dangerous to send a diver into the water to latch the hook as would be necessary with a conventional hook. In addition, a hook embodying the present invention combines the attributes of being extremely light and having a capacity to lift very heavy loads. This feature is also of paramount importance in maritime applications of the present invention where a lightweight hook is desired to minimize the danger of damage to a vessel being hoisted and injury to divers or swimmers who may also be working on the vessel. In the embodiments shown, further protection is afforded the vessel by the resiliently compressible bumper members positioned on the hook.

The hook of the embodiments shown must be capable of lifting 40,000 lbs. to 45,000 lbs. and at the same time weigh but a fraction of the weight of a conventional hook having similar capacity. The geometry of a book of the present invention achieves that end.

However, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the utility of a hook embodying the present invention is not limited to marine cranes, and that the objects and advantages achieved by the present invention are valuable in a vast multitude of ditferent applications. Also, those skilled in the art will appreciate the fact that the circular cross section of the hook shown here is but a preferable shape in a broad class of substantially symmetrical configuration, any one of which may be used, or even preferred in other applications.

Therefore, as distinguished from the two specific embodiments disclosed above, the invention itself is set forth in the claims that follow:

I claim: 1. A hook assembly for a hoist line of a crane comprising the combination of:v

an integral body having a substantially round cross section and a sagittal profile;

said body having a short, hollow shank having a bottom end projecting centrally from one end, an an nular latch engaging shoulder about said bottom end of said shank, and side walls generally tapering from a lateral periphery of said shoulder to a pointed nose at an opposite end, said pointed nose of said integral body being formed by a resiliently deformable insert;

and a cable fastening hole opening through said hollow shank and extending longitudinally centrally of said integral body to receive an end of a hoist line and adapted to be fastened to said end of said hoist line.

2. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said side wall has an annular resiliently deformable bumper ring mounted in it.

3. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 1 including:

a tubular socket with a flared opening adapted for mounting on a load to be hoisted and adapted to receive said integral body;

and latching means mounted on said tubular socket and resiliently biased to extend into the interior of said socket to engage said latch engaging shoulder on said integral body when said integral body enters said socket.

4. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 1 including:

latching means movably mounted on said integral body to rest on said latch engaging shoulder and to project resiliently outwardly beyond said lateral periphery of said annular shoulder;

and a tubular socket to receive said integral body adapted for mounting on a load to be hoisted, hav ing an open end flared to guide said integral hook into said socket, and having an annular latching groove opening inwardly to receive said latching means on said integral body.

5. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

an inwardly opening pocket is formed in a lateral Wall of said socket;

a shaft mounted across the interior of said pocket;

and said latching means includes a bar mounted to have an upper end and a lower end with a hole through its upper end for loosely receiving said shaft with sufficient clearance so that said upper end can abut the inside of said pocket, and spring biasing means to resiliently bias said lower end into the interior of said socket to engage said annular latch engaging hole.

6. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a pair of vertical wings projecting from said annular latch engaging shoulder and said shank mounting a horizontal shaft between them provide a support for said latching means;

and said latching means includes a bar loosely pivotal- 1y mounted about said shaft to have a lower end resting on said annular latch engaging shoulder, and having spring means for resiliently biasing an upper end of said bar outwardly to engage said groove in said socket.

7. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

a release means is mounted on said socket to retract said latching means out of said socket.

8. A hook assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein:

a release mechanism is mounted on said socket to force said latching means out of said groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,720,732 7/1929 Jongedyk 294-110 X 2,018,414 10/1935 Oksenholt 294- X 2,954,997 10/1960 Mescher et al. 294 3,250,563 5/1966 Walsh 294-83 X R. E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

